Path to Inexistence
by mackenziekids
Summary: 'When you wake up in the mourning, And realize it was all a lie, Take a deep breath and remember, It was so you wouldn’t die'
1. 1

The Path to Inexistence  
  
Chapter One Back to Hogwarts  
  
The feeling of being back at Plat Form ¾ was both thrilling and frightening for Harry. What would happen this year? Was all that went through his mind. His trunk already on the train and Harry was waiting for the arrival of Ron and Hermione, who were running late. Harry's summer was fare from unusual. He had spent most of the summer in his room avoiding the Dursleys and counting down the days until he would go back were he belonged. Now here he was, the day he had been waiting for all summer and Ron and Hermione weren't even here.  
  
"Where the bloody hell are they! They're such little prats!" Harry exclaimed suddenly out of frustration.  
  
"Who's a little prat?"  
  
Two young girls Harry had never seen before walked into the compartment. They were the same height with identical features. Both had long blonde hair to the middle of there back. Both had blue eyes and fair skin.  
  
"Or better still, what is a prat?" the one on the right asked.  
  
"I don't care as long as it's not me." Said the one on the left, who looked back at Harry with big blue eyes, "Are you the one with his undies in a bunch? We could hear you in the corridor."  
  
"My names Harry, and sorry, I'm just a bit anxious to be off, and my friends haven't arrived yet."  
  
"S'ok." Said the one on the right, her eyes were alight with excitement, "I'm Catelin, but everyone calls me Cate. And this is my sister Tru."  
  
"What house are you in? We've heard all about Hogwarts all our lives and it's way cool to be actually on our way!" she looked at Catelin who had a strange expression on her face like she was trying not to laugh.  
  
Curious, Harry looked out the compartment window to find what Cate found so funny.  
  
"Ron! Hermione! Wha- What are the doing?!" Harry gasped out, watching his friends run around the plat form in what looked like a wild goose chase or rather a wild toad/cat chase.  
  
"Hey look! It's a cat!" Cate cooed, watching a ginger blur dart around people's legs erratically.  
  
"That's not a cat, that's Crookshanks!" and on that note Harry ran out of the compartment and onto the platform.  
  
"A Crooka what?" said Cate and Tru together but they were detracted at that moment when a large toad landed on Harry's chest causing Harry to gasp in surprise.  
  
"Harry quick! Grab him!" yelled Ron as they neared him.  
  
"Oh no! Crookshanks don't!" Hermione called out as the large ginger cat bounded over to Harry, crashing into his chest, and knocking Harry onto the platform floor.  
  
"Oh Crookshanks!" Hermione moaned, as she pulled the dazed cat into her lap.  
  
"Harry are you all right? Bloody cat. have you still got Neville's toad?" Ron asked, helping Harry to his feet and checking on Trevor who was gripped firmly in Harry's hands.  
  
"Here, give the runt to me," Ron said, taking Trevor and hobbling him upside down by his back legs. He then proceeded to shake the toad in a fevered fashion.  
  
"What's going on?" Harry finally got out, starring at his friends.  
  
"Trevor must like shiny things-" Hermione started out, "-he swallowed Ron's gift to me." Harry turned to Ron who had gone extremely red.  
  
"It was a bracelet-"he stuttered.  
  
And indeed it was Harry noted, for at that exact moment Trevor made an odd clucking noise and out fell Hermione's bracelet. Picking it up with her handkerchief Hermione sighed and placed it in her pocket.  
  
"There now come on, the trains about to leave."  
  
And so, they hoped into a nearby compartment and made their way to the end of the train. Cate was sitting there waiting for them, a grin on her face.  
  
"Great catch Harry!" she jumped up from her seat and walked towards the trio.  
  
"I suppose you're Ron and Hermione, huh? I'm Cate; will Catelin really, Catelin Mackenzie. And my sister is Tru."  
  
Harry looked around the compartment but for the for the four of them it was empty. "Where's Tru?" Hermione asked obviously coming to the same conclusion as Harry.  
  
"Oh she went to the front of the train to get-"  
  
But Cate was interrupted by the slam of the compartment door. Turning around Harry say a sight that was a bit confusing.  
  
"Hello, Potter. How's. life?" came a jeering voice, coming from a sneering mouth on what had to be the pale face of one Draco Malfoy flanked on either side by Crabbe and Goyle. But was it Malfoy? The shocked and disgusted looks on his friends (minus Cate) faces mirrored his own.  
  
Malfoy (it had to be) looked much different from how he had last appeared to Harry when they had last met. His silver-blonde hair had been cut short and spiked, his ear pierced and he wore a black T-shirt with the sleeves ripped off along with some sort of tattoo on his right arm just below the shoulder.  
  
"What kind of animal did you run into this summer Malfoy?" Ron put out, but his fists were clenched ready for a fight. Hermione was laughing somewhat coldly, "He looks like a muggle rebel punk! I believe the boys' dress like that in the States at lest."  
  
"Shut up you filthy mudblood-" but unfortunately for Draco his retort was cut off by someone crashing into him from behind, covering him and his cronies in a foul smelling liquid that seeped into their cloths and skin. They, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were now all soaked in blue liquid and face down on the train floor.  
  
"What the hell?!" Malfoy cried out and glared at the girl on top of him, who had not been covered in the strange liquid. It seemed that Tru (Harry had seen it was her the moment she burst into the room) had run at Malfoy with their drinks floating along beside her, and had spilled the contents all over them also landing herself right on top of the blonde Slytherin. "Oh, hi!" Tru flashed a cunning grin at Cate. "Did I interrupt something?"  
  
"Get off my right now! You're dead you stupid girl! I just got this shirt yesterday and you've ruined it." Draco yelled at Tru from the floor struggling to get up.  
  
Tru got off Draco and walked to where Cate was standing and proceeded to look Draco up and down as he got up.  
  
"Funny I don't feel dead. Cate, do I look dead because according to him I am but I think he's mistaken."  
  
"No Tru he is mistaken you're not dead, not yet any way."  
  
"Oh and Praco you should be thanking me. You look much better in blue, that black makes you look much to pale, the blue really brings out the color of your eyes."  
  
Draco made a move to grab his wand having had enough of this insolence. "That is it! My name is not Praco its Draco and you better learn to respect it or you'll be sorry."  
  
"Whatever. Besides who could ever respect you, when you look like you got in a fight with a lawn mower?"  
  
"Who the hell do you think. What the hell?!?" Draco cut himself off after having realized that he no longer possessed his wand, which he had been searching for.  
  
"Looking for this?" Tru was casually twirling Draco's wand between her fingers.  
  
"How did you get my wand?" Draco snarled viscously.  
  
"If you have to ask you'll never know." Cate jumped in, knowing exactly how Tru had gotten Malfoy's wand.  
  
Hermione meanwhile had been looking between the twins and Malfoy apprehensively, when she noticed that Malfoy's two cronies were missing. Harry and Ron were to busy laughing to notices.  
  
"Wait, were did your two friends go?" Hermione asked Draco looking around.  
  
"What do mean where did they go they're right here. What!? They're gone."  
  
Just then the twins started to laugh uncontrollably, the kind of laugh where you know your are not suppose to be laughing, because you'll give yourself away if you do. Well they had that and couldn't help themselves it was all very amusing to them. Unfortunately Malfoy didn't find his situation so amusing and his temper was getting the better of him.  
  
"What in the name of Merlin are you two idiots laughing at now!?"  
  
"Nothing. just.." Cate tried to explain through her laughter.  
  
"Well. you look so.funny. when you're mad.." Tru continued for her.  
  
"Kind of cute.too"  
  
"I think I'm going to be sick." Ron said before he too started laughing. Which made Harry and Hermione laugh as well. Draco had gone pale and was shaking with rage.  
  
"Here take your wand and go find your friends." Tru said holding out his wand.  
  
Draco snatched his wand from the girl and turned to leave but just before he was completely out of the compartment he turned and pointed his wand yelling a spell they didn't know. Much to Malfoy's and the others astonishment the spell simple rebounded of a mysterious barrier that surrounded the five teenagers. Green light flared and died and Malfoy stormed away beat red.  
  
"Well that was certainly interesting. Does the year at Hogwarts always start with such drama or is that just a resent development?" Cate asked  
  
"I don't understand," Hermione mumbled more to herself then to the others, "how did the spell just rebound like that and then diminish and fade out completely. It's never happened before that spell would have worked I just don't understand it. I've never read about that happening before and I didn't see any of use block it with our wands."  
  
"It was probably some kind of fluke, Draco must have said something wrong and the spell died before it reached us. Now come and lets set down my feet are killing me or they will be if I don't sit soon."  
  
They took a set at once. Cate by the window across from Tru, Harry was between Cate and Ron, while Hermione sat next Tru, Crookshanks purring continently on the empty set next to her.  
  
"Where did you two say you were from again?" Hermione asked taking her mind of the fluke spell incident so she could look it up later.  
  
"America, we went to Salem's School for Witches. All girls there weren't any teenage guys for miles." Cate replied.  
  
"Having no guys around really sucked. Speaking of guys have you seen Basil? I haven't seen him since we got on the plat form." Tru said.  
  
"No, I haven't. He's probably of tormenting some poor innocent girls or what he calls flirting." Said Cate.  
  
"Probably right. Boy I feel sorry for them."  
  
"Wait, whose Basil?" Ron was completely lost in this part of the conversation.  
  
"Oh he's just are ignorant brother who for some strange reason things he's all that and a bag of chips." Tru and Cate said together. "Don't do that. I was talking first! Stop that!" the twins yelled at each other they obviously hated saying the same thing at the same time.  
  
They were quit after that the two sisters being annoyed with one another. Cate was staring innocently out the window while in the mean time Harry stared at her.  
  
"Harry?" Hermione whispered.  
  
"Huh, oh. yes?" Harry responded knocked out of his own thoughts.  
  
"Have you heard from. Snuffles lately?" She asked her tone low and casual.  
  
"Oh yeah, he's kind of busy with some business right now, but he says he's doing fine."  
  
"I was so worried over the summer. I almost stopped subscribing to the Daily Prophet, thinking that I'd see him on the front page." Hermione grasped the book she was holding so tightly her knuckles bled white.  
  
"Hey 'Mione give the book some air-" Ron chuckled lightly. "Harry, do you want to play some exploding snap?"  
  
And that was how they passed the rest of the train ride, pausing only to buy and munch on the sweets the witch brought near noon.  
  
They changed into their robes when they neared the end of their journey. "You boys go in with your Gryffindor friends, we're taking Hermione away for some girl talk!" laughed Tru as they dragged Hermione to an empty carriage.  
  
When they neared the castle, Harry and Ron got stuck in a large crowd of students who were talking excitedly and making gestures at the castle. The girls appeared abruptly, winded from running.  
  
"Harry-Ron you wouldn't believe it-" Hermione started. Trying to catch her breath and talk at the same time was not something Hermione was good at.  
  
"They're huge scaly brutes, I wonder how Dumbledore got them-" Cate babbled on.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Ron exclaimed impatiently.  
  
"Dragons!" Tru breathed out, eyes glittering dangerously.  
  
"Dragons!?" Harry gasped in awe.  
  
"Guarding the entrance!" Cate exclaimed pointing.  
  
"Much better then Fudge's old dementors if you ask me." Hermione scowled folding her arms.  
  
"Bet that's why Charlie came down this summer, no wonder it was so hush hush." Ron replied.  
  
"Come! Come see!" Tru cried, grabbing their hands and pulling them through the crowd not caring if the ran into people on their way.  
  
"Welsh Greens." Hermione explained when they reached the doors. "They used in the early 1930s during the time of Grindewald was gaining power. I read about it in-"  
  
"Hogwarts, A History" Ron replied dully receiving a kind slap on the arm from Hermione. "Any way lets go its getting cold and I'm hungry."  
  
So the walked into the Great Hall where the trio bid farewell to Tru and Cate, who had walked back to where the first years had just entered and the whole school watched as professor McGonagall brought in the sorting hat. Everyone waited with baited breath as the rip near the top that served as a mouth opened and began to sing.  
  
"Long ago, In the days of old, When founders four Stood proud and bold, I was made to nick, And pick You're childish brains. To seek out That one trait you hold That outshines all the rest And place you In the house That shall fit you best. The cunning to Slytherin They always find a way The quick of wit to Ravenclaw They can solve any puzzle come what may The loyal to Hufflepuff They are friends to the end And to Gryffindor the brave and proud On them you can depend So set me atop your head To see your future course And on you'll go Into your crowd To become one of the best!"  
  
The end of the song was met with tumultuous applause and a "He's brilliant, Brilliant, BRILLIANT, I tell you!" from Fred followed by some catcalls made by George. Near the end of the sorting students began to notice the two girls and boy who were obviously too old for first years. They weren't very tall and had fit in with some of the taller eleven year-olds. They were called up after the last if the first years with a:  
  
"Mackenzie, Basil"  
  
"Gryffindor!"  
  
"Mackenzie, Catelin"  
  
"Gryffindor!"  
  
"Mackenzie, Tru"  
  
"Gryffindor!"  
  
As they neared the Gryffindor table whispers began, every one was wondering who these new kids were as the obviously were not first forms. The three seemed to not notice however seating themselves next to Hermione, joking with each other causally.  
  
"Gryffindor, who would've guessed?" Cate began.  
  
"Please, was there ever any doubt?" Tru answered, as she speared a baked potato when the food appeared. Everyone was so busy eating that almost nobody noticed as the door opened to the great hall and a tall brunette with curly hair came in, leading three boys with neon green and blue skin. She led them to the Slytherin table and sat them down before walking to take her place at the High Table.  
  
"Tru. that blue liquid that you spilled on them wasn't the potion we stole from Dads privet store this summer. was it?" Cate asked pointing to the boys but Tru was too busy laughing to respond.  
  
"Tru." Cate whined trying her best not to laugh too for she was rather disappointed she had not been informed.  
  
"Potion, what potion, I know not of what you speak. And since when does dad have a privet store?" Tru said between laughing.  
  
"How could you we were saving that and you could have at least told me. Still it was pretty funny." Cate tried to say sternly but was failing miserably.  
  
"Don't through a hissy fit Cat."  
  
At this Cate presided to hiss like a cat at Tru. The two of them went into a fit of laughter. "You're too much, honestly." Hermione said before turning bake to her supper.  
  
"Sorry we can't help it, we had to much sugar on the train I think." Tru replied.  
  
The rest of the meal was uneventful, consisting of small talk and mindless chatter. When the meal was over Hermione and Harry left to lead the first years to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"We'll see you guys later. We have to go check in with the headmaster." Cate said grabbing Tru's wrist as Harry, Hermione and Ron started off. The girls ran over to the High table.  
  
"I wonder what that was about?" Harry asked.  
  
"Don't know. Come on Harry lets go."  
  
They led the first form back to the common room pointing things out to them as they went. The entered the common room and took a seat in a secluded corner.  
  
"How was your summer? It must have been horrid at the Dursleys." Hermione asked.  
  
"It wasn't that bad really. I stayed out of their way and they didn't bother me, much."  
  
"I wish you could have stayed with us at the Burrow." Ron said wistfully.  
  
"You know what Dumbledore said about that. Harry is safer with the Dursleys for some unknown reason." Hermione said sharply glaring at Ron causing Ron to blush.  
  
"Is there something I'm missing? What went on this summer between you two?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
"Well. erm." Hermione blushed and Ron's ears went red.  
  
"Well what?"  
  
"You see after me and Viktor broke it off." Hermione began.  
  
"I sort of comforted her."  
  
"Is that all? I thought it was something really big." Harry said rather relieved to know.  
  
"I better be going to bed." Hermione then got up and walked up the stairs to the girl's dormitories still bright red.  
  
"I wonder when the girls are coming back." Harry murmured stretching him self-out on the puff he rested on.  
  
"Who knows?" Ron answered, dragging himself up from his chair. The common room was nearly empty and the people were retreating to their beds.  
  
"C'mon Harry, the last thing we need is to fall asleep down here when we've got classes tomorrow." He gripped Harry's hand in his own and hauled him up. They then retreated to their dormitory.  
  
A/N PLEASE REVIEW!! 


	2. 2

The Path to Inexistence  
  
Chapter Two  
  
First Days Back  
  
Harry rose at around seven the following morning to the sounds of the other boys waking. After a shower and a brief pillow fight to celebrate their return, they preceded to walk down to the common room where they were met with the three girls. Hermione was grinning madly and when she turned to them they noticed a silver glint coming from her robes.  
  
"So its true you really are a prefect, not that I had any doubt in my mind that you wouldn't be. Yet I still feel betrayed, prefects." Ron muttered.  
  
"Congratulations!" Harry said trying to distract Ron so that he wouldn't notice the silver glint on Harry's robe.  
  
"Congratulations yourself boy wonder." Tru answered with a smug look on her face for having noticed that Harry also had on a prefect badge.  
  
"We would like to make it known that Harry here is also a Gryffindor prefect!" Cate came to Harry and gave him a congratulatory pat on the back and a peck on his cheek. "Congrats!"  
  
"To breakfast!" Tru announced heading for the portrait closely followed by Harry and the others while Ron was mumbling something about being betrayed by his two best friends.  
  
At breakfast Harry and Hermione passed out schedules to the younger classes before sitting down to eat.  
  
"How the hell did we get stuck with the Slytherins in Double Potions, AGAIN!?" Ron exclaimed throwing his arms up and falling back into his seat.  
  
"Oh give it a rest Ron," Hermione answered as the doors opened into the Great Hall. Many people turned their head towards the young woman who was now entering the hall and heading towards the High Table.  
  
"That's the new DADA professor. Professor Furil." Said a male voice behind Harry and Ron. They turned and faced a young boy still older then themselves.  
  
"Where's she from Basil?" Cate asked looking quizzically at her older brother.  
  
Basil, a sixth year with shoulder length sandy blonde hair and purplish blue eyes, taller than Ron he looked extremely athletic.  
  
"Somewhere north. Iceland I think. but with all rumors flying around." He said, his eyes wondering around the room where they landed on a wavy haired sixth year Hufflepuff who was glancing their way. "Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, but duty calls." And he crossed the room in about five strides.  
  
"Duty? More like hormones." Grumbled Cate, which caused Tru to laugh.  
  
"He's got the perfect build for a keeper, how's he on a broomstick?" Ron asked urgently to Cate.  
  
"He's got great defensive moves but he's bad when it comes to races." She replied chewing on a piece of toast.  
  
"Perfect. I'll talk to Katie Bell about him." Ron answered twirling his spoon in his quickly cooling oatmeal.  
  
"Professor Furil, huh?" Harry commented nibbling on a piece of bacon.  
  
"We've got her first, so I guess we'll find out if any of the rumors are true." Hermione mentioned, going over the course schedule.  
  
"Here, here!" Tru exclaimed drinking the last of her orange juice.  
  
When breakfast was over, they grabbed their DADA books and supplies before they hustled down to the DADA classroom. The Professor was waiting inside her features strict, but when she greeted them her gray eyes were warm and trusting.  
  
"Please take your seats," She announced in a calm voice, "and we will begin our lesson."  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Harry now accompanied by Cate and Tru sat in their usual seats from the pervious year, up in front.  
  
"My name as many of you may already know is Professor Furil. I will start by taking roll. We will then go over what you covered from last year so that I shall know where to begin this year." Professor Furil began once everyone had taken a seat.  
  
When the roll was finished they took out their books and reviewed everything they had covered last year. "OK now that I have a better understanding of where you are in your studies we may begin. This year will be far from easy. With the return of Lord Voldemort knowing how to defend yourselves against the Dark Arts may one day save your life."  
  
"Tell me about it." Harry muttered to himself under his breath thinking that only Ron and Hermione could hear him.  
  
"What was that Mr. Potter?" The Professor asked.  
  
"Err. nothing Professor." Harry blushed.  
  
The teacher gave Harry a quizzical look before continuing. "I would like you to read pages one through eight and come to class ready to discuss the material."  
  
A moment of silence followed as the same thought went through every student's mind: Homework on the first day? Only Snape does that! Professor Furil smiled and added, "You have roughly ten minutes of chat time before class ends. Don't waste it on homework."  
  
After a few days, Harry began to feel like he had never left Hogwarts. Things like homework, and Fred and George's pranks began to be a regular day occurrence. Until the end of September, that was when Harry finally felt at peace; meaning quidditch season.  
  
The first practice was in reality a sort if try-out for future Gryffindor house players. The position of keeper was now open, and the ages of the trainees ranged from 7th year all the down tell a few ambitious second years.  
  
Angelina Johnson, a sixth year, was now the quidditch captain for the Gryffindor team. As she bustled about giving tips and singling people out into groups of four, Harry the Weasley twins and the other chasers, Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet, were each practicing a few new maneuvers with the quaffle while Harry raced around looking for the small, speedy snitch. While pausing for a water break, Harry couldn't help but notice that Fred and George weren't practicing like normal. Instead they seemed to be more interested in the way the trainees would jump out of the way of the bludgers when the twins hit them low enough. Angelina had to ask them to leave practice so she'd be able to handle a less anxious group of Gryffindors.  
  
As Harry picked up his firebolt and got ready to let loose again, Angelina came by and put a hand on his shoulder, making him pause.  
  
"Harry, why don't you go inside? I can handle these amateurs with Alicia and Katie, but they seem more interested in watching you zoom around on a broom then actually paying attention to me." She winked at Harry before jumping on her own broomstick, "Besides we all know you could catch the snitch blind-folded."  
  
Harry stretched his aching muscles, 'she's right', he decided, 'they aren't paying attention at all.'  
  
After placing the snitch back inside the crate that held the four Quidditch balls, Harry picked up his broomstick and headed towards the castle, all ready eager for a hot shower and maybe a trip down to the kitchens for a snack.  
  
However, when Harry was walking past the Hospital Wing, his thoughts were jostled by a sharp out cry coming from the infirmary door, which stood ajar.  
  
"Merlin's beard!" Harry heard Madam Pomfrey exclaim, "I wish you would have come earlier. Then perhaps I could have found something to dull the pain."  
  
"Well," Harry heard a voice reply in a bored but slightly pained tone, "It's a bit hard as I was in class when it started, so I decided it would have to wait until after dinner."  
  
Harry peered into the crack left by the open door. 'That drawl sounds familiar.' Harry thought as he got a good look at the patient. Even as the hairs on his back began to rise, Harry had already recognized the speaker. Draco Malfoy sat on one of the infirmary's cots, gripping his left forearm, his face taut with pain.  
  
"I'll just have to find someone to bring you here before your more severe symptoms begin." Madam Pomfrey walked over to the cot with some chocolate and a warm towel, temporarily blocking Harry's view of Malfoy.  
  
"I just wish I wasn't so short on aids this year." Madam Pomfrey sighed as she bustled back to another part of the Infirmary.  
  
"Great. Just marvelous." Malfoy scowled, "I get to have a babysitter."  
  
Harry tired to get a better look at Malfoy's arm but the door just didn't allow such a visual. As he continued on his way to the Gryffindor tower, the knot in Harry's stomach felt like it was wove with lead. Harry was almost positive Malfoy had been covering his arm not because of an injury, but of a dark mark. The Dark Mark. He had to tell Ron.  
  
He arrived in the Gryffindor common room a short while later, a bit out of breath having sprinted there in his eagerness to tell Ron and Hermione what he had seen. Harry looked around the room eagerly for them but there was no sign of them anywhere. Puzzled Harry went to his dormitory to put his broom away while he thought of places where they might be. After putting his broom away and still not knowing where they could be, he finally decided he'd just have to ask someone if they'd seen them. He went back to the common room and seeing Ginny in front of the fire he went over to ask her.  
  
"Hello Ginny." Harry said rather hastily for he was getting rather anxious to find Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Hi Harry." Ginny replied looking up from her book.  
  
"Have you seen Ron and Hermione recently?" He asked her.  
  
"They went to the library a half hour ago." She responded.  
  
"Thanks Gin. See you later." Harry said and rushed off to the library. 'The library, why would they want to go there? We haven't gotten any homework that required us to go to the library. It must be something to do with Hermione.  
  
Within five minutes Harry was in the library and over to the table in the back that they always sit at when they're here. Of course as expected Ron and Hermione were sitting with their heads buried in eight different books at once.  
  
"I've been looking for you guys. You'll never guess what I found out." Harry began in a rush, setting down next to them. "I was walking past the hospital wing when I saw Malfoy in there and he was clutching his left fore arm in pain!"  
  
"Yeah we know." Ron said after Harry had finished.  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"We saw him holding his arm after dinner and he looked like he was hurt so we followed him. We saw the hole thing." Hermione explained.  
  
"So then you agree, it has to be the dark mark?" Harry said.  
  
"That's what I thought too but then Hermione pointed out that it couldn't be because he wouldn't dare go to Madam Pomfrey if it was." Ron said while continuing to read from the large book in front of him.  
  
"Oh right." Harry said realizing that Hermione was right as was usual. "Well then what are you two doing here?"  
  
"We wanted to know what would cause Malfoy to leave so suddenly, because it couldn't have been any thing normal or from class because then he would have gone right away instead of waiting until after dinner." Hermione began.  
  
Just then Ron's head snapped up. "Hey 'Mione look at this." He handed a rather musty looking volume and pointed to something only he and Hermione could see. "Would this be possible?"  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked looking at Hermione. He remembered that triumphant gleam in her eyes.  
  
"Ron! Pure genius! I know exactly what book to get!" and she took off to the aisles of books on their right.  
  
"Ron, what is she so excited about?" Harry asked, he had to admit he was curious about Malfoy's predicament. Anything that got under Malfoy's skin was worth knowing.  
  
"Malfoy might be a halfling." Ron answered leaning back in his chair.  
  
"Oh. What's a halfling?"  
  
"I keep forgetting what being raised be muggles means." Ron replied. "A halfling is a human who can turn into a magical creature. Sort of like a werewolf, only they can keep their human mind while looking like whatever they turn into."  
  
"So why aren't they just called animagus?"  
  
"Because they are usually born with this ability and the creatures they turn into are not creatures used in animagus transformations," interjected Hermione who slumped dejectedly into the chair beside Harry.  
  
"Where's the book?" Ron asked starring at Hermione's empty hands.  
  
"Its not on the shelf I think someone checked it out." She answered.  
  
"So someone's one step ahead of us." Harry grumbled.  
  
"If you ask me, Malfoy probably got his mitts on it before anyone discovered his problem." Ron stated, "I know I would have."  
  
"You all seem so sure of yourselves, its almost funny." Interjected a voice from behind them. The group looked up to see Tru, who had just come into view holding an open book in her hands.  
  
"Tru? Could I see that book, please?" pleaded Hermione, her brown eyes looking eagerly at the volume.  
  
Tru looked at them her eyes like ice. "There was a reason that Halflings and their Symptoms by Isaac Knowler was not available for check out." Then she closed her eyes and sighed, "I'd heard you guys get nosy, but I didn't think you'd try so hard to find some weakness in someone who isn't even your enemy." She looked at Harry and stated in a voice that was casual and friendly blue eyes twinkling, "Voldemort is your enemy Harry. Draco may be an irritating twit, but the two never come close to being the same. See you in class." And picking up her book, she proceeded to walk out of the library.  
  
"Well I never!" Hermione said exasperated.  
  
"What did she mean by that? Of course Malfoy is our enemy!" Ron said rather perturbed with the new girl.  
  
"She's right, Malfoy isn't who we should be concerned about. He's not worth the effort." Harry said quietly his fist clenched at his side.  
  
"Harry." Hermione began uncertain what Harry was thinking.  
  
"I'm going to Dumbledore's, I'll see you guys later." Harry turned and walked away heading for the stone gargoyle statue that was the entrance to Dumbledore's office.  
  
Thankfully he didn't have to worry about the password, as a prefect he had been given it already. He was about to walk up the stairs to Dumbledore's office when he decided against it. It was late and he could see him another time, right now all he wanted to do was sleep. But he as he was nearing the stairs he heard the stone grinding on stone as the gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office moved to open its passage.  
  
"Baby-sit, I can't believe it!" Harry stopped 'that sounded like Tru'. "Stick up for yes, be sympathetic perhaps, but baby-sit that sniveling spoiled brat!?" Yes, definitely Tru. "I cannot believe I'm agreeing to this. If divination wasn't being taught by that old bat of a seer." What was she going on about Harry wondered.  
  
"Harry what are you doing out here?" a voice from behind asked.  
  
Harry turned and felt his blood rushing from his face, as if his eavesdropping hadn't been enough, being caught Tru was worse. "Harry you look as if you've seen a ghost. Are you all right?" She asked. Harry gave Tru an inquisitive look. No not a Tru. Catelin!  
  
"Oh, Catelin. Its you." Harry stammered out. His mind rushed with a million things to say to get out of this situation while an annoying voice kept shouting at him (it must have been his conscience) get out, get out, GET OUT!  
  
"Err. come to common room with me?" he finally managed to feeling like a total idiot.  
  
"Of course." Catelin answered giving a smile and turning in the direction of Gryffindor tower. Following as casually as possible, Harry made his way back to the common room, praying to who ever was listening to just allow him a good nights sleep. He could think about today, tomorrow. 


End file.
